Land Rover Defender: new pictures of 2019 model released

The pictures show the all-new version testing in everything from freezing Arctic conditions to the desert and Rocky Mountains.

The test vehicles are still wrapped in camouflage to hide the final design of the new model but it clearly retains the boxy, square styling that made the original Defender instantly recognisable.

Market-leading versatility

Land Rover has kept details of the new vehicle to a minimum, apart from saying that it will bring “unparalleled breadth of capability and new levels of comfort and driveability to the Defender family”.

It is understood that the new Defender will copy its predecessor with short (90-inch) and long (110-inch) wheelbases and will be the basis for a range of vehicles with different specialties.

Prices are rumoured to be in the region of £45,000 to £70,000, with the Defender slotting between the Discovery Sport and Discovery models in the rugged side of Land Rover’s model line-up.

Land Rover’s UK managing director Rawdon Glover has said it will offer “the best versatility in the market, we will have an SUV for every customer requirement”.

Prototype testing

Land Rover has been testing the new Defender in locations across the globe to measure its abilities in all conditions, pushing it through the 50-degree heat of the desert, the -40-degree cold of the Arctic, the 10,000ft altitude of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and even the twisting Tarmac of the Nürburgring.

As part of its ongoing testing Land Rover is also handing over a Defender prototype to its partner the Tusk Trust, in Kenya.

The specially camouflaged vehicle will be used by the trust across its 14,000-hectare reserve to test its abilities in real-world use.

Nick Rogers, executive director of product engineering, said: “In addition to the extensive simulation and rig testing, we’ve driven new Defender 1.2 million kilometres across all terrains and in extreme climates to ensure that it is the toughest and most capable Land Rover ever made.

“The incredible opportunity to put it to the test in the field, supporting operations at the Borana Conservancy in Kenya, with Tusk, will allow our engineers to verify that we are meeting this target as we enter the final phase of our development programme.”

The new images were released on World Land Rover Day to mark the 71st anniversary of the original Defender’s public debut at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948.

The new model will be officially revealed later this year with customer deliveries starting in early 2020.